Device for cutting weeds and stirring soil.



H. D. CLAYTON.

DEVICE FOR CUTTING WEED'SND STIRRING SOIL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.II6, I1902.

no MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

` l I Z' gym/MAA ATTOHNE YS.

PATBNTED JAN. 27, 1903.l

PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903.

H. D. CLAYTON. DEVICE FOR CUTTING WEBDS AND STIRRING SOIL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL` l A Tron/vf ys.

PATENTEI) JAN. 2?-, 1903.

' H. D. CLAYTON.

DEVICE TCR CUTTING WBEDS AND STIRRING SCIL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

ATTORNEYS..

lJNiTnn STnTns FATnNT Trios.

HERBERT D. CLAYTON, OF EDMND, KANSAS.

DEVICE FOR CUTTING NEEDS AND STIRRLNG SOIL.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. I719,189, dated January 27, 1903.

Application iiled August 16.190

2. Serial No. 119,876. (No model.)

To all whom, it 71mg/ concern/ Be it-known that I, HERBERT D. CLAYTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edmond, in the countyof Norton and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Cutting Weeds and Stirring Soil, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an agricultural implement used for cutting weeds and stirring soil,and more particularly used in crops planted with a lister. l

`The machine consists, essentially, of apair ofsleds connected together by means of a longI board, the sleds being preferably pulled by four horses, and is provided with cutting mechanism for severing weeds and for pnlverizing the surface of the soil.

My invention includes divers adjustments of the parts and also several improvements in structure, as hereinafter pointed out.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing my device ready for use. Fig. 2 i'sa ver tical section upon the line c of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a somewhat similar section taken upon the line 'y y of Fig. 1 looking intle direction of the arrow. Fig. l is an enlarged vertical cross-section upon the line s z of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is detail View showing one of the brackets and its accompanying parts disposed in an abnormal relation. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the so-called short knives. Fig. G is a perspective view of a side board having a modified form of knives secured thereto; and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are plan views ofrespective modi- 1'ied forms of one of the so called long knives.

The sleds are shown l at A and B and the board for connecting the same is shown at C.

The runners 1 are surmounted by rails 2, connected therewith by means of the posts 3 4 5 these posts being provided with adjustmentholes G, 7, 8, and 9. Each post is provided with a rib 10 and with a foot 11, which rests upon the runner and is secured thereto by means of bolts 12. Each rib lO terminates at its upper end in a bearing 13. These bearings directly engage the tubular cross-bars 1l 15 16 and are rigidly held against the same by means of U-shapedl clamps 17 18 19, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. These U-shaped clamps are detachably held in place by means of nuts 2O 2l 22. By loosening these nuts the clamps maybe moved longitudinally upon the tubular bars, and the runners 1 may thus be spaced asunder to any desired extent or 'adjusted relatively to each other. Each sled maytherefore be rendered wide or narrow, as desired.

Fastenings 23 are secured upon the crossbar 16, and to these fastenings are secured longitudinal clevises 24, upon which are mounted the doubletrees 25, these doubletrees in turn supporting the singletrees 26, whereby the horses are harnessed to the machine. Resilient yokes 27, made, preferably, of spring metal, are provided for engaging the ends of the boards C. These yokes terminate in bearing-plates 28, which are ladjustably secured to the tubular rods 14 15 by means of the U-shaped clamps 17. By loosening these clamps the relative position of each yoke 27 may be changed relatively to the tubular rods upon which it rests. Nuts 29 are used for tightening these clamps. Bolts 30 pass centrally through the yokes 27 and also through the board C, as indicated more particularly in Fig. l.

A pair of rollers 3l 32, provided with journals 33 34, are mounted between the tubular These rollers are for the purpose of allowing the board C to travel longitudinally within certain limits, thereby enabling the sleds to approach and recede from each other to a certain extent. By this means as the sleds are dragged across the iields they can conform to the surface of the ground and to the varying width and distance apart of different rows.

Each sled is provided with vertical side boards 35, which are held in place and rendered adjustable by means of ,bolts 36 37, vthese bolts engaging the holes 6 7 in the posts 3 4, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The purpose of these side boards is to prerods 14 15 and are free to turn at all times.

IOO

vent the entrance of dirt loosened by the cutting mechanism,I which would otherwise have a tendency to enter the space between the runners. Sometimes, however, it is desirable to admit more or less dirt into this space and between the posts 3 and 4. When this is the case, the boards 35 may be raised to any desired extent by removing the bolts 36` the knives 41 are merely substituted for the knives 38. In instances where it is desirable to have knives secured directly upon the side boards the holes 44 in the boards 40 are engaged by the bolts 36 37 in like manner as when the boards 35 are used.

Longitudinal tubular rods 45 are provided for the purpose of supporting certain of the cutting mechanism and rendering the same adjustable. Each rod 45 is provided with fiattened ends 46 47, one end being provided with.

a slot 48, the other with'a plurality of adjustment-holes 49. Bolts 50 51 engage the slot 48 andthe adjustment-holes 49, respectively, and also engage the holes 8 9 in the posts 4 5.

Brackets 52, provided with screw-bolts 53 and with flattened portions 54, `are mounted upon the rods 45 and are provided with bolts 55, whereby the long knives 56 may be secured thereto. The brackets 57 are somewhat similar to the brackets 52 and are provided with set-screws 58, whereby said brackets are adjustably mounted upon the rods 45. Each bracket 57 is provided with an angular aperture 59, and through this aperture a bolt 60, provided with a lug 61 and with a screw portion 62, passes, the screw portion 62 being engaged by an angular nut 63, whereby the bolt may be adjusted relatively to the bracket. The lug 61 engages the back of the knife 56.

If desired, along knife 56a, provided at each 'of its ends with two holes 56h, may be employed, as indicated in Fig. 5, or, if desired, the knife may have the form 56", provided at its ends with slots 56d, as indicated in Fig. 8. A knife 56e may be provided with beveled ends 56f and with bolt-.holes 56g, as indicated in Fig. 9. The purpose in having fastenings 56h, 56d, 56f, and 56g upon both ends of the knife is to render the same reversible, so that after the edge of the knife adjacentI to one of its ends has become considerably worn the knife may be reversed by placing it upon the other side of the machine, so that a different portion of the edge is exposed to the hardest usage.

As indicated in Fig. 4a', the brackets 57 may be interchanged, so that the knives 56 will occupy comparatively high planes, asis someferent portion of the slot 48, the knives 56v may be adjusted slightly as regards the general length of the sleds. By moving the brackets 52 and 57 or either of them the general angles of the knives 56 may be changedthat is to say, the knives may be rendered more or less divergent at will. This may be seen to better advantage by inspecting the sled A. (Shown at the right hand in Fig. 1.) It is clear that by moving the brackets 57 for- AWard or backward or by moving the brackets 52 relatively with the brackets 57 the knives 56 maybe placed at any number of different relative angles.

The board C is provided with a slot 64 and with adjustment-holes 65, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 1. Upon the sled Ais mounted a rest consisting of the beams 66 67, rigidly connected by bolts` 68 with the `cross members 1415. The board C is connected at each of its ends with a sled AB, the lefthand end of the board being so disposed that the slot 64 is engaged by the bolt 30. The otherend of the board rests upon the beams 66 '67, the bolt 30 passing through one of the holes 65. The arrangement is such that the end of the board resting upon the beams 66 67 is held comparatively rigid, whereas the opposite end 'is free to roll upon the rollers 3l 32, the'slot 64 permitting this movement within certain limits.

The general operation of my device is as TIO soil, comprising a plurality of sleds provided with runners and with rails, posts connecting said runners with said rails, bars mounted upon said posts, means controllable at will for adjusting said bars relatively to said posts, brackets ad justabl'y mounted upon said bars, knives each having one end pivotally connected with one bracket and engaging another bracket intermediate of its ends, and means for dragging said sleds.

2. A device for cutting weeds and stirring soil, comprising a plurality of sleds provided with runners and with rails, posts connecting said runners with said rails, bars mounted upon said posts, brackets mounted upon said bars, means controllable at will for adjusting said brackets relatively to said bars, knives each having one end pivoted to one bracket and lacked to another bracket intermediate of `its ends, and means for dragging said sleds.

3. A device for cutting weeds and stirring soil, comprising a plurality of sleds provided` with runners and with rails, posts connecting said runners with said rails, bars mounted upon said posts, two brackets mounted upon each bar and adjustable relatively to each other,one of said brackets being provided with lugs, longitudinal knives pivoted to the forward brackets and engaged by the lugs of the rearbrackets,the arrangementbeing such that said knives are adjustable to dierent angles by changing the position of said brackets relatively to each other, and means for dragging said sleds.

4. A device for cutting Weeds and stirring soil, comprising a plurality of sleds provided with runners and with rails, posts connecting said-runners with said rails and spacing the same apart, and longitudinal knives :nount ed with their front ends inserted in said openings and theirrear ends diverging outwardly and rearwardly, whereby the cutting edges of said knives extend from planes coincident with said rails and said runners, and means for dragging said sleds.

5. A device for cuttingr weeds and stirring soil, comprising a pair of sleds, each provided with cutting mechanism, rollers mounted upon one of said sleds, a rest mounted upon the other of said sleds and imuovable relatively thereto, and a longitudinal member engaging said rest and resting upon the said rollers, and resilientyokes carried by the sleds and engaging the said member, thereby flexibly connecting said` sleds together and providing for lateral movements of the same relatively to each other. l

6. A device for cutting Weeds and stirring soil, comprising a plurality of sleds, each provided with cutting mechanism and with posts, side boards engaging said posts, and means controllable at will for adjusting said side boards relatively to said posts, whereby more or less dirt actuated by said cutting mechanism may pass beneath said side boards if desired.

7. A device for cutting weeds and stirring soil, comprising a plurality of sleds, each provided with knives and with posts, side boards connected with said posts and adjustable relatively thereto, additional knives rigidly Kmounted upon said side boards, and means for dragging said sleds. j

8. A device for cutting weeds and stirring soil, comprising sleds provided with runners and with rails, posts connecting said runners and said rails, said posts being provided with bearings at their upper ends, cross-bars engaging said bearings, clamps detachably engaging said bearings and said cross-bars, whereby said posts are adjustable relatively to said cross-bars, side boards adjustably secured tothe posts and cutting mechanism connected with said boards.

9. In a device forcutting weeds and stirring the soil, the combination with two sleds, each provided with spaced cross-bars, of resilient yokes each having their ends adj ustably secured to the cross-bars cf asled, and a board having its ends adjustably secured to said yokes, as set forth.

lO; A device for cutting weeds and stirring the soil, comprising two sleds each having their runners adjustable toward and from each other, a board having its ends adj ustahly and yieldingly connected lwith the sleds, and cutters secured to the Arear andto the sides -of each of the said sleds, as set forth.

HERBERT D. CLAYTON.

Witnesses:

J. A. BROWN, L. DEAN. 

